PREVIEW. Call Center Management. Instructor s Edition NOT FOR PRINTING OR INSTRUCTIONAL USE

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1 Call Center Management Instructor s Edition Australia Canada Mexico Singapore Spain United Kingdom United States

2 Call Center Management VP and GM of Courseware: Series Product Managers: Developmental Editor: Project Editor: Series Designer: Cover Designer: Michael Springer Caryl Bahner-Guhin and Adam A. Wilcox Don Tremblay Geraldine Martin Adam A. Wilcox Steve Deschene COPYRIGHT 2003 Course Technology, a division of Thomson Learning. Thomson Learning is a trademark used herein under license. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work may be reproduced, transcribed, or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution, or information storage and retrieval systems without the prior written permission of the publisher. For more information contact: Course Technology 25 Thomson Place Boston, MA Or find us on the Web at: For permission to use material from this text or product, contact us by Web: Phone: Fax: Trademarks Course ILT is a trademark of Course Technology. Some of the product names and company names used in this book have been used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers and sellers. Disclaimer Course Technology reserves the right to revise this publication and make changes from time to time in its content without notice. ISBN Printed in the United States of America PM

3 Contents Introduction iii Topic A: About the manual... iv Topic B: Setting student expectations...vii Topic C: Classroom setup... ix Topic D: Support...x Call center fundamentals 1-1 Topic A: Establishing a call center Topic B: Setting up the call center Unit summary: Call center fundamentals Call center technology 2-1 Topic A: Service and information technology Topic B: Call load and staffing Unit summary: Call center technology Employee motivation and monitoring 3-1 Topic A: Employee motivation Topic B: Communication with employees Topic C: Employee performance evaluation Topic D: Employee monitoring tools Unit summary: Employee motivation and monitoring Employee management 4-1 Topic A: Reduce turnover Topic B: Stress management Topic C: Training Unit summary: Employee management Customer management 5-1 Topic A: Customer expectations Topic B: Customer relationship management Unit summary: Customer management Managing for excellent service 6-1 Topic A: Setting service levels Topic B: Achieving service levels Topic C: Analyzing reports Unit summary: Managing for excellent service Communicating information to executives 7-1 Topic A: Information that executives need Topic B: Communicate with executives Unit summary: Communicating information to executives Course summary S-1 Topic A: Course summary...s-2 Topic B: Continued learning after class...s-4

4 ii Call Center Management Glossary G-1 Index I-1

5 Call Center Management Introduction iii After reading this introduction, you will know how to: A Use Course Technology ILT manuals in general. B Use prerequisites, a target student description, course objectives, and a skills inventory to properly set students expectations for the course. C Set up a classroom to teach this course. D Get support for setting up and teaching this course.

6 iv Call Center Management Topic A: About the manual Course Technology ILT philosophy Our goal at Course Technology is to make you, the instructor, as successful as possible. To that end, our manuals facilitate students learning by providing structured interaction with the subject itself. While we provide text to help you explain concepts, the activities are the focus of our courses. Leading the students through these activities will teach the concepts effectively. We believe strongly in the instructor-led classroom. For many students, having a thinking, feeling instructor in front of them will always be the most comfortable way to learn. Because the students focus should be on you, our manuals are designed and written to facilitate your interaction with the students, and not to call attention to manuals themselves. We believe in the basic approach of setting expectations, then teaching, and providing summary and review afterwards. For this reason, lessons begin with objectives and end with summaries. We also provide overall course objectives and a course summary to provide both an introduction to and closure on the entire course. Our goal is your success. We encourage your feedback in helping us to continually improve our manuals to meet your needs. Manual components The manuals contain these major components: Table of contents Introduction Units Course summary Glossary Index Each element is described below. Table of contents The table of contents acts as a learning roadmap for you and the students. Introduction The introduction contains information about our training philosophy and our manual components, features, and conventions. It contains descriptions of the target student, objectives, and setup for the course. The introduction also contains support information.

7 Units Introduction v Units are the largest structural component of the actual course content. A unit begins with a title page that lists objectives for each major subdivision, or topic, within the unit. Within each topic, conceptual and explanatory information alternates with activities. Units conclude with a summary comprising one paragraph for each topic, and an independent practice activity that gives students an opportunity to practice the skills they ve learned. The conceptual information takes the form of text paragraphs, exhibits, lists, and tables. The activities are structured in two columns, one telling students what to do, the other providing explanations, descriptions, and graphics. Throughout a unit, instructor notes are found in the left margin. Each unit title page lists an estimated time for completion, but you have a lot of control over how much time it will actually take to get through the material. Many of the activities have questions or scenarios designed to stimulate discussion. You can adjust the amount of time a unit takes by deciding how many students you ask to respond and how long you allow a discussion to continue. Course summary This section provides a text summary of the entire course. It is useful for providing closure at the end of the course. The course summary also indicates the next course in this series, if there is one, and lists additional resources students might find useful as they continue to learn about the subject. Glossary The glossary provides definitions for the key terms used in this course. Index The index enables you and the students to quickly find information about a particular topic or concept in the course. Manual conventions We ve tried to keep the number of elements and the types of formatting to a minimum in the manuals. We think this aids in clarity and makes the manuals more elegant looking. But there are some conventions and icons you should know about. Convention/Icon Italic text Bold text Description In conceptual text, indicates a new term or feature. In unit summaries, indicates a key term or concept.

8 vi Instructor notes. Warnings prepare instructors for potential classroom management problems. Tips give extra information the instructor can share with students. Setup instructor notes give a context for instructors to share with students. Call Center Management Convention/Icon Description In the left margin, provide tips, hints, and warnings for the instructor. Next to an instructor note, indicates a warning for the instructor. Next to an instructor note, indicates a tip the instructor can share with students. Next to an instructor note, indicates a setup the instructor can use before delivering a step or activity. Activities The activities are the most important parts of our manuals. They are usually divided into two columns, with a questions or concepts on the left and answers and explanations on the right. To the far left, instructor notes provide tips, warnings, setups, and other information for the instructor only. Here s a sample: Do it! A-1: Steps for brainstorming Exercises 1 Sequence the steps for brainstorming. Begin generating ideas Select the purpose Organize for the session Ask questions and clarify ideas Review the rules Select the purpose. Organize for the session. Review the rules. Begin generating ideas. Ask questions and clarify ideas. PowerPoint presentations To assist in your presentation and provide students with a visual focus, there is a PowerPoint presentation file to accompany each unit. Each presentation begins with a list of unit objectives and finishes with a unit summary slide. Display the slide show from the instructor s station as you present the course materials. A copy of PowerPoint Viewer is included, so you do not need to have PowerPoint software installed.

9 Topic B: Setting student expectations Introduction vii Properly setting students expectations is essential to your success. This topic will help you do that by providing: A description of the target student at whom the course is aimed A list of the objectives for the course A skills assessment for the course Target student The typical students of this course will be managers, supervisors, or team leaders who need to learn effective call center management. Course objectives You should share these overall course objectives with your students at the beginning of the day. This will give the students an idea about what to expect, and will also help you identify students who might be misplaced. Students are considered misplaced when they lack the prerequisite knowledge or when they already know most of the subject matter to be covered. After completing this course, students will know how to: Identify the functions of a call center and determine the process for setting up a call center. Identify the categories of ACD, technologies to monitor your employees, the benefits of skill-based routing, and how to determine call load and staffing. Motivate employees, communicate effectively with employees, evaluate employee performance, and identify methods for monitoring employees. Reduce employee turnover, manage stress, and train employees. Identify customer expectations and manage customer relationships. Set and achieve service levels, and use reports. Identify the information that executives need and learn how to communicate with them.

10 viii Call Center Management Skills inventory Use the following form to gauge students skill level entering the class (students have copies in the introductions of their student manuals). For each skill listed, have students rate their familiarity from 1 to 5, with five being the most familiar. Emphasize that this is not a test. Rather, it is intended to provide students with an idea of where they re starting from at the beginning of class. If a student is wholly unfamiliar with all the skills, he or she might not be ready for the class. A student who seems to understand all of the skills, on the other hand, might need to move on to the next course in the series. Skill Identifying the functions of a call center Identifying the process for setting up a call center Identifying the categories of ACD Identifying the technologies to monitor your employees Identifying the benefits of skill-based routing Determining call load and staffing Motivating employees Communicating effectively with employees Evaluating employee performance Identifying methods for monitoring employees Identifying customer expectations Managing customer resources Setting service levels Achieving service levels Using reports Identifying the information that executives need Communicating with executives Reducing employee turnover Managing employee stress Training employees

11 Topic C: Classroom setup Introduction ix In addition to a manual, each student should be provided with a pad and pens or pencils for jotting down notes and questions. Students should have a comfortable place to sit and ample table space to spread out their materials. The instructor should have a white board and markers. Computer requirements You ll need the following for the PowerPoint presentation: A Pentium-class or better computer A keyboard and a mouse A sound card and speakers Windows 98, NT, 2000, or XP A minimum of 32 MB of RAM, depending on your operating system CD-ROM drive A Super-VGA monitor An overhead projector PowerPoint Viewer, or PowerPoint 2000 or later Classroom requirements A white board or flip chart and markers Slips of paper depending on the number of students. First-time setup instructions The first time you teach this course, you will need to download the PowerPoint presentations for the course to your computer. Here's how: 1 Connect to 2 Click the link for Customer Service to display a page of course listings, and then click the link for Call Center Management. 3 Click the link for downloading the PowerPoint files, and follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

12 x Call Center Management Topic D: Support Your success is our primary concern. If you need help setting up this class or teaching a particular unit, topic, or activity, please don t hesitate to get in touch with us. Please have the name of the course available when you call, and be as specific as possible about the kind of help you need. Phone support You can call for support 24 hours a day at (888) If you do not connect to a live operator, you can leave a message, and we pledge to return your call within 24 hours (except on Saturday and Sunday). Web-based support The Course ILT Web site provides several instructor s tools for each course, including course outlines and answers to frequently asked questions. To download these files, go to

13 Unit 1 Call center fundamentals Unit time: 60 minutes Complete this unit, and you ll know how to: A Identify the functions of a call center. B Set up the call center. 1 1

14 1 2 Call Center Management Topic A: Establishing a call center Explanation A call center permits your customers to contact you at their convenience without having to make a special trip to your distribution centers. Thousands of customers contact inbound call centers each day with queries related to your organization s products or services. As a result, these centers produce the highest quality of customer interactions for the lowest cost per customer. Today s inbound call centers respond to customers not only by telephone, but also through , fax, and the Internet. The value and goal of your call center Technology has changed the way call centers function. Today, technology is used to manage call center functions, such as reporting and routing calls, that were previously handled by individuals. Call centers perform these functions but can also operate from more than one location. They can either be located functionally within different companies, or distributed in different geographical locations and networked together to create virtual call centers. As a result, the definition of an inbound call center has expanded to include both older and newer forms of communication. The inbound call center is where customers, employees, and technologies meet to communicate, interact, and solve problems. An inbound call center is a company s front door. How a company meets the public will affect the way they perceive it. In an inbound call center, customers usually come with a request that s related to one of these four categories: Information Customer service Sales Product or service support Information Individuals call a company for information about its products and services, or speak to company personnel. A call center is the central resource of information for a company; it acts as a repository of all information relating to company s products, customers, customer feedback, and problems and solutions. Customer service A large number of companies incorporate the information function of the call center with its customer service function. The call center is the main point of customer service in most companies, especially after a sale has been made. Usually, the only contact that a customer has with a company after a sale is through the call center.

15 Call center fundamentals 1 3 In the customer service function, employees of a call center register and resolve customer complaints and document customer praises. Most call centers authorize agents to solve problems or appease customers, through means that are below a certain cost. This cuts down the number of complaints that managers must field and permits the company to satisfy its customers efficiently. A quick response and reliable information from a call center results in a happy, repeat customer. Sales Many companies have established themselves as mail or phone order catalog companies; instead of having brick and mortar stores, they use catalogs as their primary sales tool. Some companies use their inbound call center s calls to increase revenue by promoting add-on or new products, training, or maintenance. A call center that provides reliable solutions can also suggest products and services that the customer did not consider during his initial purchase. A number of companies have developed this concept of commerce further by eliminating stores and performing sales functions directly from their Web sites. By using e-commerce, companies make sales through , the Internet, fax, or by telephone. E-business permits customers to get answers quickly, find more information, and view add-on products with their descriptions. Nevertheless, e-business and its importance in the sales function does not replace the simple voice-to-voice relationship that a call center can establish and maintain with a customer. Every inbound call from a customer is a sales opportunity. For example, OnStar uses inbound calls to offer additional services. If you call OnStar from your car system and ask for directions to get to a restaurant, they will also remind you that you can add-on their concierge service. The concierge service permits customers to receive special services, such as purchasing event tickets or making reservations at the push of a button. OnStar always communicates with customers over the telephone, while relying on desktop technology to service the call, acting in both a sales and support service capacity. Product or service support Some call centers provide customers with information about using their electronic products, such as VCRs or computers. They troubleshoot problems and help customers fix minor problems. A call center adds value to existing products by supplying the needed information or new services. Call centers that serve the company internally help employees solve problems with software and hardware. Call center personnel have the resources to assist with internal technology, its implementation, and use. At the heart of this function is the in-depth knowledge that call center agents have of the company s products and operations.

16 1 4 Call Center Management Do it! A-1: Discussing call center fundamentals Explanation Questions and answers 1 What four services do customers request from a call center? Information, customer service, sales, and product or service support 2 What means of communication do call centers use to respond to customer requests? Telephone, , fax, and the Internet 3 What are virtual call centers? Centers that are distributed in different geographical locations and networked together 4 What are internal call centers? Call centers that serve the company internally to help employees solve problems with software and hardware Business values of call centers The call center is a strategic tool that can help establish a company as an industry leader. Its success is determined not only by the quality of its products, but also by the quality of its customer service. An effective call center can better satisfy customers, which can positively affect sales. Usually, the call center itself becomes a product. It can be viewed as a company resource and an asset. If you look at what goes into the design and development of a call center, and especially if another company offers to buy it, you would value it as highly as you do other best-selling products. A trained agent in a call center can have a greater effect on a company s image than mass media advertising. Customers are more likely to relate bad experiences to their friends and relatives than they are to comment on good service. Functions of a call center manager As a call center manager, you are responsible for day-to-day operations. Different call center managers will be responsible for different tasks. For instance, depending on the size of your company, you could be the outbound, telemarketing, and inbound call center manager, overseeing several supervisors. In general, call center managers are usually responsible for five main functions. They include:

17 Communicating Staffing Budgeting Strategic planning Emergency planning Call center fundamentals 1 5 Communicating The primary function of a call center manager is to communicate information to employees and upper-level managers. Staffing You ll be expected to interview, hire, train, and evaluate your employees. You should talk to your Human Resources manager to know more about your company s hiring and firing policies and guidelines. You should also learn and understand the laws applicable to your location. Budgeting Although you might not be directly responsible for writing your own budget proposal, your immediate supervisor will rely on your input when creating the department s budget. Before your company s budgeting period, you should discuss with your supervisor the expectations that he has from you and the budgeting process. Depending on the role assigned, you might want to ask additional questions about the budgeting process. You might also want to talk to your company s budget coordinator for additional information. Strategic planning Depending on your company, you might be asked to provide strategic planning for your call center. This includes developing a vision for the future, predicting what the call center industry will look like, determining your role, and clarifying how you ll fulfill that role. It will be beneficial for you to subscribe to at least one industry publication to understand the market forces that might affect your call center. Use your favorite search engine to find a list of publications on the Internet. Emergency planning Other employees perceive the call center to be open and ready, at all times, to manage any crisis that might affect its customers. As a result, you need to ask supervisors about your current operating plan in case of an emergency. If one is not in place, form a committee to develop a comprehensive emergency action plan. Emergencies might include flood, fire, severe storm, labor strike or slowdown, power failure, or violence in or near the workplace. Your company might also choose to identify other types of emergencies. The plan should include details such as who will be contacted and when, what will be done with the call center equipment, where calls can be transferred, and where the call center can be relocated. If possible, involve all levels of the organization in this plan. It is important that you communicate this information to your supervisors and employees, and practice the emergency plan on a regular basis.

18 1 6 Call Center Management Functions of a call center agent The functions of a call center agent are: Customer processing After-call work Reporting On-the-job training Non-telephone duties Customer processing Processing customer requests is the primary responsibility of your call center employees. A call is defined as any communication media that a customer might use to contact your company. Employees should understand the types of calls that they will be processing and the resources that they have to satisfy their customers. Define, in writing, the pool of available resources and desired skills. You should also develop procedures for identifying and answering regular and complex calls. Complex or unusual calls should be forwarded to trained agents, while less experienced agents continue to manage regular calls. Each customer transaction should be serviced in a consistent manner. You should carefully develop business rules and processes to guide the agents. Checklists are essential for daily call processing and later for performance evaluation. Your employees skills should match the types of calls they handle. For example, an employee who is not good at written communication is not a good choice for answering calls, because he will need to communicate all the necessary information through the written word. After-call work After satisfying a customer s request and ending the call, the employee should ensure that the customer s request is filled. This effort is known as after-call work. You should streamline after-call work as much as possible to increase the number of calls that your employees can answer during a shift. This work should be simple, easy, and necessary. All after-call work should be documented for future reference. Call center agents usually keep a thorough database and develop frequently asked questions (FAQ) based on customer calls. These resources need continual entry and maintenance. Reporting Another function that employees fulfill in the call center is tabulating and generating data reports. These reports help you run the department efficiently. Each agent should keep track of the number of calls serviced and not serviced, callbacks needed, and other contact management duties that are needed to generate reports. These reports can be used by the manager for shift planning, by the agent for the next day s work, and for generating statistics for reporting and planning. Agents might also be asked to run special reports for a function that they perform on a regular basis or as a one-time assignment.

19 On-the-job training Call center fundamentals 1 7 Because call centers usually have a high employee turnover rate, it is necessary to permit your employees to train new hires. Taking on this responsibility yourself or leaving it to your assistants is a waste of precious time. Empowering your star employees to train others will help retain them and also result in developing a star call center staff. By including the initial and ongoing reviews of procedures, rules, and guidelines as a part of on-the-job training, you can ensure that all agents have a better understanding of the material and the need for complying. Non-telephone duties To help break the monotony, many call centers arrange for their employees to perform non-telephone duties. For example, most calls are still received by telephone. To give your employees a change, give each of them a chance at answering , Internetbased requests, and fax calls. Do it! A-2: Understanding the functions of a call center Exercises 1 How can a well-trained agent in the call center have a greater effect on company s image than the mass media advertising the company uses? Customers are more likely to relate customer service experience to friends and relatives, and they re more likely to relate bad call center experiences than good ones. 2 What are the benefits of having a call center? The benefit of having a call center is that it permits your customers to contact you at their convenience. A trained agent in the call center can have a great effect on customers opinion of your company. 3 Which are the main responsibilities of a call center manager? A B C D E F G Communicating Staffing Reporting Budgeting Strategic planning Emergency planning Training

20 1 8 Call Center Management Use this scenario as a basis for discussion. Encourage a discussion that leads from these general answers to more specific ones. 4 Which are the functions of a call center employee? A B C D E F G Customer processing On-the-job training Sales analysis Collection Reporting Non-telephone duties After-call work 5 What are needed in daily call processing and in performance evaluation? Checklists 6 Which are some non-telephone duties? A B C D E F Answering On-the-job training Internet-based services Fax handling Reviews Budgeting 7 Icon International has a large customer base for all its products. Its export division sends products all over the world and receives many calls everyday from customers. Due to a severe tropical storm, telephone lines went down, power supply failed, and agents did not turn up on time. This resulted in many calls remaining unanswered, excessive delays, employee overload, dissatisfied customers, and delayed delivery of orders. Some of Icon s best customers even cancelled bulk orders. Now, discuss the following: What are the details that should be included in the emergency plan of a call center? The plan should include who will be contacted and when, what will be done with the call center equipment, where the calls will be transferred, and where the call center will be relocated.

21 Topic B: Setting up the call center Explanation Call center fundamentals 1 9 Before you set up a call center, you should know the steps involved in this process as well as the various considerations that need to be addressed. Process for setting up a call center After your company has decided that it needs a call center of its own, you need to design one that will fulfill your company s needs and the customers demands. You and your company should follow this eight-step process to establish the call center: 1 Develop a mission statement. 2 Forecast call load. 3 Determine necessary staff. 4 Establish environmental considerations. 5 Plan space requirements. 6 Build the call center. 7 Establish the process and procedures for the call center. 8 Evaluate success. Develop a mission statement Developing a mission statement is an important first step, because it will guide the creation of your call center. The mission statement should be specific, identify your customers, explain how you ll serve them, and determine the service goal that the call center plans to achieve. This statement should establish the call center s goals, purpose, and reasoning. It should guide the call center through its creation, maintenance, and growth, and define how it will adjust to change. Forecast call load The forecast, in conjunction with the mission statement, permits you to determine the number of agents you need and when, the space you need, and the technology you need to manage the call load. Determine necessary staff Based on the forecasted call load, the next step is to determine the number of employees that you ll need to handle your call load. You should consider the hours of your call center, the forecasted call load, the types of calls you ll handle, and the service level that you plan to achieve. Establish environmental considerations Environmental considerations include the amount of power you ll need to operate; heating, air conditioning, and ventilation (HVAC) requirements; lighting needs; and furniture. Plan space requirements Your space requirements are based on the size of your staff, environmental and technological considerations, and related support areas.

22 1 10 Call Center Management Build the call center You can either locate your call center within your current building, or lease or build an external facility. Establish the process and procedures for the call center Document all call center processes and procedures. Because these documents are dynamic, they are always under the scrutiny of your employees. If you do not establish standard operating procedures from the beginning, the call center will lack the structure and foundation it needs to grow and change. Evaluate success Finally, you need to evaluate the call center to determine whether it is fulfilling its mission statement. Make appropriate adjustments if performance lacks in any area. Do it! B-1: Understanding the process Exercises 1 Select and sequence the steps for establishing a call center. Build the call center Establish the process and procedures Evaluate success Assess customer demands Plan space requirements Forecast call load Develop a mission statement Establish environmental considerations Determine necessary staff Hire employees Develop a mission statement. Forecast call load. Determine necessary staff. Establish environmental considerations. Plan space requirements. Build the call center. Establish the process and procedures. Evaluate success.

23 Call center fundamentals What are the environmental considerations in setting up a call center? Answers might include: Power Lighting Furniture Heating Ventilation Air-conditioning 3 What are the space considerations in building a call center? Answers might include: Number of staff Environmental considerations Technological considerations Needed support areas 4 What factors are used to assess the success of a call center? Answers might include: Expected service levels Adherence to procedures Fulfillment of mission statement Serving customer needs

24 1 12 Call Center Management Explanation Considerations for setting up a call center Determining the location of a call center is a complex and important business decision that will affect the success of your call center. As a result of advances in technology, your call center does not have to be close to your main factory or corporate office. Because your company s home location might not contain the right employee base to meet your needs, it could be more beneficial to set up the call center at one or more locations. Call centers staffed by agents working strictly from their home offices can be networked as virtual call centers. You need to consider these points when setting up a call center: Location consideration Building consideration Layout consideration Environmental consideration Employee consideration Location considerations To determine the best location, most companies form committees that handle capital purchasing decisions, such as site location and building. If you are a member of your company s search committee, you ll want to evaluate each location closely. Most civil governments provide incentives for growth opportunities in their communities. The finance members of your committee need to compare and evaluate these incentives. You should also compare the home real estate values for each area, the quality of schools, and the size and accessibility of the community. The search committee should also consider the potential employee base. Because an investment of this size is typically a long-term commitment, you must ensure that you have a significant potential employee base before choosing a site. Communities that have some or all of the following features tend to have large employee pools: University or college Vocation and technical school Military base, current or just recently closed Most of these communities tend to have a revolving population that that need flexible hours and both part- and full-time employment. If the community you choose has a vocational school, you should develop a relationship with it and work to create a call center management course or degree plan. Not only will this help form ties with your new community, but it will also provide a pool of trained managerial candidates. Finally, you should also consider available telecommunication resources. Choose a location that has a competitive telecommunications market because competition will help lower your costs by providing different service and pricing options.

25 Call center fundamentals 1 13 Building considerations The various building considerations for establishing a call center are location, power, accessibility, and security. Location You should consider where would you locate your call center within the building you choose to occupy. If your employees are needed to leave the call center or their workstation to complete after-call work or fill a customer s request, try to keep the distance to their destination as short as possible. Call center service is measured, in part, by the amount of workload that your employees are able to manage. Eliminating extra steps will help you serve more customers. Power The speed of change makes it necessary to consider not only what your current power needs are, but also what they will be in the future. Work closely with your electrician to determine the appropriate wiring specifications for your call center. You should also consider your support equipment, normal building power necessities, and future expansion needs. Depending on the needs of your technology, you might want to invest in an emergency generator that will, at the least, maintain the electronic memory of your equipment. Remember, plan for future growth by building the necessary infrastructure. Accessibility There are two ways in which your call center should be accessible. First, all new buildings must meet minimum requirements established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to accommodate people with physical challenges. Your building should include ramps, doors wide enough for a wheel chair, and workstations that are accessible from a wheel chair. Workstations that are not fixed will allow you to adjust your floor plan to accommodate the needs of your employees. Make sure you discuss the need to adhere to ADA guidelines with your architects and contractors. The second form of accessibility is infrastructure accessibility. Depending on the changes that your call center is likely to undergo, you should be able to adapt quickly and easily. Your building should provide easy access to additional space, network connections, and electrical expansion. These features will help you to undertake an expansion without having to shut down or transfer the call center while you remodel the existing facility. You ll also need at least two entry points for your communication connections to the outside world. If one line fails, you ll have a backup plan to stay online. Security Providing for the safety of your employees is an important consideration before you begin building or remodeling. Choose a relatively safe location within the community. Next, talk to the architect about the fire escape plan in her design. Be sure to ask the architect if the location of moveable work areas will affect the plan. It might be helpful to have the plans reviewed by a fire official to ensure the safety of the design. To protect your employees, you should use security officers, car-to-door service during night time and early morning hours, locks on the outside doors of the building, interior and exterior security lighting, emergency lighting, and video cameras. Another security precaution is to provide a restroom that is accessible to your employees during nonpeak hours. This should be secure from the part of the company that is closed. Finally, consult with your company s security personnel to develop internal security practices to protect your company s interests.

26 1 14 Call Center Management Layout considerations A well-designed layout can facilitate teamwork among your employees and help them assist their customers more efficiently. No matter how you decide to arrange your call center, you should purchase durable workstations that are easy to break down, move, and reassemble. Depending on the type of atmosphere you want to create, there are three ways in which you can arrange your workstations: Traditional This workstation uses a long desk, separated by adjustable panels to create workstations. This layout permits greater flexibility in the amount of space allocated to each employee. Pinwheel In this design, workstations are connected at a center point. This layout facilitates teamwork and uses less space than the traditional layout. Freestanding This workstation gives employees a greater sense of privacy. The modular layout, however, is most likely to inhibit teamwork. Environmental considerations Employee turnover can be mitigated and performance improved by maintaining the right environment. When building your facility, consider the factors, such as lighting, sound, furniture, HVAC, and cleaning along with the effect they are likely to have on your employees. Lighting Indirect lighting is best for your employees because it prevents glare on computer screens and reduces eyestrain. If indirect lighting is not available, you can use some methods that diffuse direct lighting. Some companies use glass-fiber fabric petals, similar to fan blades, in front of the light to diffuse it from their direct lighting units. Others use parabolic mirrors and different colors of florescent tubing. Florescent lights can also be purchased in full-color spectrum to give the illusion of natural sunlight. Sound Call centers are inherently noisy. Reducing the background noise for your employees will help them hear better, reduce distractions, and create a more pleasant work environment. There are several ways to reduce background noise in your call center. One of these is to install white noise machines. These machines produce sound known as white noise, which disrupts other sound waves and diminishes the volume of noise in your call center. You can also install sound-absorbent material, similar to the foam found in recording studios, when building your call center. Check with your contractor for the availability of these building materials. If this material is not available or is prohibitively expensive, you can use soft foam tiling that is cheaper than the studio quality but still helps absorb sound. Soft cubicle walls, as well as a carpeted floor, will also absorb sound and reduce the noise levels in your call center. Furniture Furniture that is uncomfortable to use for extended hours can contribute to employee turnover and make employees irritable. This can affect the quality of service that your call center provides. When purchasing furniture, you should evaluate its ergonomics as well as its price. Most call centers need their employees to be seated to complete customer requests. Chairs should have adjustable seat height, arm rests, and back angle. They should curve to support the back on the sides in the appropriate posture. If you provide standing stations for your employees, it is important to consider the type, style, and functionality of your furniture.

27 Call center fundamentals 1 15 HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are often overlooked when establishing a call center. These are considerations that you should not take lightly for several reasons. Employees will be more productive if they re not too hot or cold. Proper ventilation will maintain fresh air in your call center, which is helpful when employees are working for long hours next to one another. It will also help prevent the spread of communicable illnesses, such as colds and flu. Providing proper ventilation also includes testing your interior environment regularly for hazardous chemicals and toxins. Proper documentation outlining emergency plans should be readily available. Cleaning In a 24-hour call center, cleaning services should be carefully planned and used. Cleaning the workspace without disturbing ongoing work requires cooperative effort. A clean environment will prevent illness and prolong the life of your technology, furniture, workstations, and other equipment. If your agents share a workspace in a multiple shift operation, you might need to enforce strict cleaning procedures at the end of every shift to ensure that the space is clean for the next agent. Employee considerations The various employee considerations that you need to keep in mind when establishing a call center are desk space, technology, technology support and training, foreign language support, and amenities. Desk space The function that your employees provide will dictate the desk space needed by them. Customer service representatives usually need less desk space than agents who provide technical support. Your workstations should contain enough space for reference material, a writing area, and computer terminals. Technology You improve the quality of your customer service by providing relevant information about the customer to your agent when the customer is on the line. On the other hand, it is important to avoid technology overload. Too many pop-up screens become overwhelming and time consuming. You should evaluate and use technology to shorten the average length of your customers calls, increase customer satisfaction, and improve your employees ability to learn and use technology effectively. Computer telephony integration (CTI) is one technology that revolutionized the capabilities of call centers. CTI links telephones and computers to communicate information through both software and hardware. It allows customer information to be displayed on the agent s screen without asking the customer any questions. The agent only has to confirm this information before processing the customer s request. Technology support and training When you are purchasing new technology for your department, you should also consider some of the support programs offered by vendors. If your company is fortunate enough to have a knowledgeable computer staff, you should determine the degree of support that they will be able to provide and the type of support you ll still need from the vendor. After determining the technology needed to run your call center at its optimum level, and convincing management to support this purchase, you must train your employees thoroughly on this technology. Remember, training should not be a one-time event. Periodic refresher courses should be used to reinforce basic tasks and develop new skills.

28 1 16 Call Center Management Foreign language support In an expanding global market, the ability to serve foreign languages is a support function that more companies are finding necessary. You can determine the amount of foreign language support your employees need by using the methods that determine staffing needs. These will be discussed later in this unit. Analyze the market in which your products are sold and determine the populations likely to speak a language different than your average employee. Although technology that translates languages will soon be available, it will not be a universal substitute for polyglot employees. Providing multilingual customer service will positively affect the perception of your company. There are certain paid-for services in which you can conference call into a third party who speaks the language of your customer. These personnel stay on the line and interpret for you as you progress through the call. Before purchasing this service, make sure that the language-line personnel are available during your call center s hours or, preferably, twenty-four hours a day. Amenities These are extra features that are beyond the basic needs of a call center. Some amenities are difficult to distinguish because of the variations in the size of call centers and the demands placed on employees. For example, a small call center might not need a conference room because the sales department s conference room is available. On the other hand, a larger call center with multiple supervisors might need a meeting place to discuss its functioning. If your call center is housed with other departments in the company, your employees can use the cafeteria. If the call center is located away from the company or operates during nonpeak hours, you might need to provide a cafeteria, eating area, or vending machines for your employees. It is also important to provide an area for those who smoke. This will make them feel valued and will prevent smokers trash from littering your parking lot.

29 Do it! B-2: Discussing initial considerations Exercises Call center fundamentals What are the important considerations in the selection of the location of a call center? Answers might include: Municipal incentives Employee pools with flexible hours Available telecommunication resources Real estate values 2 Select the building consideration factors in setting up a call center. A B C D E F G H I J Location Distance between destinations Competitive telecommunications market Future power needs Adaptability to future change Security HVAC considerations Availability of universities or colleges nearby Real estate values Accessibility 3 Discuss the needs of the various environmental considerations. Cleaning Furniture Sound HVAC Lighting Planned and used around actual work, prolongs life of equipment, shift-end cleaning Ergonomic, comfortable Reduce background noise, white noise generators, sound absorbent material, soft cubicle walls and carpeted floors Proper ventilation, prevents communicable diseases, increases productivity Indirect, diffused, reduces eye strain, full color spectrum florescent lights

30 1 18 Call Center Management Ask a volunteer from each group to explain the features of a call center. After the presentation of the three groups, you ll rank the call centers based on their features. 4 What are the considerations in determining employee needs? Answers might include: Desk space Technology Support and training Foreign language support Amenities 5 What are the amenities in a call center? Answers might include: Cafeterias Smoking areas Vending machines Conference rooms Game rooms Rest areas 6 The instructor will divide the class into three groups. Each group will create a detailed presentation regarding a call center they know. While one group presents the features of the call center, the other groups will identify the positive or negative impact of the considerations used to set up the call center.